In wireless communication networks, a common architecture is to provide a wireless base station device that serves as a gateway for wireless communications with each of multiple wireless client devices, also called mobile stations. The base station may, for example, serve as a gateway to one or more wired networks. An example of such a network is one that involves wireless devices configured to comply with the communication standard of IEEE 802.16, known commercially as WiMAX™.
One way to increase throughput between the two devices, such as from the base station to the client device, is for the base station to employ multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication techniques whereby multiple data streams are transmitted simultaneously via a plurality of antennas of the base station to a client device.
In some wireless communication systems, the devices on a communication link, e.g., a base station and a client device, are configured to support multiple MIMO transmission modes from the base station to the client device. The base station switches between MIMO transmission modes depending on the channel conditions between the two devices at any given time. For example, in a WiMAX system, the client device makes measurements based on signals it receives from the base station, and sends those measurements to the base station. The client device selects which MIMO transmission mode to use and sends this also to the base station.
There is room for improving the way mechanism by which a MIMO transmission mode is dynamically selected with respect to communication between two wireless devices capable of supporting multiple MIMO transmission modes.